h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

With a little bit of patience, "princess" parking can be had at the Spectrum, even during its most crowded hours. The best lot to be in is the one directly west of the Spectrum. It's off Irvine Center Drive, between the two tall office buildings (its easy to find as they are the only two office buildings there). Before 6:30pm or so the lot is reserved for the offices. Part of the lot is reserved for valet parking so watch where you go. At almost any time of even the most crowded nights, you won't have to wait more that 5 minutes for a spot to open up. Just plan ahead and get there early so you don't miss your movie! Cheers!

"Princess" parking? My roommate refers to exceptional parking spots at the Spectrum as being "Princess" spots, and I don't know where she got the phrase from.

And while the Spectrum might have once been a great shopping center among shopping centers, it is simply one of many in Southern California these days with bars, restraunts, and movie screens galore.

Who cares about shopping? The only thing worth buying is Ma'n'Pa's Kettle Corn at the kiosk over by P.F. Chang's. I usually only go to Spectrum on dates and the occasional double header movie on a Saturday. I like it better than the Block because there's fewer punk kids running abound. I should go the Improv sometime, they have big names occasionally.

Going to the Spectrum always put me in an incredibly awful mood. I'm still not sure why, though. Probably the profusion of "punk kids".

Rock Bottom Brewery has some nice beers, though. Bogey Boogie Brown (or whatever it's called) is quite nice. Rather strong too. The schooners at Champps are lovely, too. And you know, come to think of it, where you're talking about is where I usually parked when I went there, although over on the side by the Improv you can get pretty close in too, and you don't have to cross the street where you could get killed by a valet parking guy racing around in a hot-rod of some sort.

The place really is obscene, though. I haven't been there in over a year--have they done any more expansions? Not like it wasn't big enough before....

I really like the Spectrum. It's a great place to have a nice dinner, people watch, and see a movie. The punks don't hang out there because nothing there is free (I guess it is kind of a yuppie playground).

Oh and you're gonna love what they're doing to the Spectum now! You know how they practically doubled it's size with the Phase 2? Well get ready for a Phase 3! It's going to be right in front of Dave & Buster's and it looks like it might me more upscale shopping, a'la Fashion Island. The parking lot is getting smaller and it's getting to be a real pain.

On the plus side, they are putting in a Yardhouse Pub right next to the Improv. It's going to give Rockbottom a run for it's money. The Yardhouse claim to fame is 100 beers on tap! At the one in Costa Mesa, I think I had a pint called Dead Man beer. I really don't recall the taste but the name kinda haunts you. Heh.

It comes back to me now...not young punks, but mobile-phone bearing soccer moms and their white Suburbans.

Phase 3--that sounds kind of creepy. "Now, to further your brain's descent into a lump of pinkish jello--Phase 3!" That would include ominous music, of course, but I can't really furnish it here.

As far as the Yardhouse, I've gone to the one at the amusingly named Triangle Square, and it was a moodily-lit, expensive yuppie hangout. I much prefer the Goat Hill Tavern, across the street--a zillion beers on tap, and more moderately priced. It's delightfully seedy, too, something often lacking in squeaky clean OC, unless you go to a *real* dive like the Swallow's Inn or some of those fabulous dives in San Clemente. Speaking of San Clemente dives, some night when you're bored, head to China Beach--it's the king of dive bars. Free pool Sunday through Thursday, too.

Getting back to the parking thing, the only thing that's really left to them is to build a parking structure of some sort around there. If they're bent on consuming all the current parking lots to make more stuff, might as well build up. Or build some wayyyyyy out and get a better tram service.